Internal-combustion engine.



W. KOELZER. INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLIoATxoN FILED rms. 4,1913.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

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W. KOELZBR. i INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4,1913.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

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W'. KOELZBR. .INTERNAL ooMusTIoN ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 4,1913.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

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Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

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W. KOELZEB.. INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4.1913.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

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WILLIAM KOELZER, 0F AUBURN, NEBRASKA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM` Konmar., citizen of the United States, residing at Auburn, in the county of Nemaha and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines and particularly to the valve mechanism thereof controlling the inlet and outlet of motive fluid to the cylinders.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an internal combustion engine with a valve mechanism which will be simple in construction, thoroughly effective in action and which shall be practically n'oiseless.

A further object is to so construct the valve mechanism that one sleeve valve shall control the inlet of motive fluid to all the cylinders, and in this connection to provide a sleeve'valve which shall control the inlet of motive fluid to the precompression chambers of the several cylinders and the inlet of mot-ive fluid from said precompression chambers to the several cylinders.

A further object is to provide a valve mechanism., which is particularly `adapted for two-cycle engines and which will permit a two-cycle engine to be throttled down and to fire regularly. i

A further object is to so construct an internal combustion engine of the two-cycle type that the fresh gas shall be introduced into the cylinder at the upper end thereof in. such position that the incoming fresh gas will cause the expulsion of the burned gases with only very slight danger of contamination.

A further object is to so form the head of the combustion chamber that the velocity of the gas on entering the combustion chamber will be decreased and the fresh gas will be expanded along the gradually enlarged head of the combustion chamber covering the .burned charge and driving it bodily outward instead of tending asv at present to churn up thel burned charge and mix with it.

A further object is to provide means to prevent the precompression pistons working against a vacuum where fullpower is not being used or wanted.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

Specification of Letters Patent.

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Patented Mar. 16, 19T-.5.

Application filed February 4, 1913. Serial No. 746,161.

My invention is illustrated -in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an internal combustion engine constructed in accordance withmy invention, the-section being taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig'. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line i is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 9. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 isl a detail view of the valve 17, the parts being broken away. Fig. 7 is a section of the valve on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6. Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are fragmentary sectional views showing the position of the valve with relation to the other cylinders and the engine. Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view through the head of a four-cycle internal combustion engine showing a modification of the valve adapted to control the inlet and exhaust of motive fluid from thecombustion chamber thereof.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

In the drawings, A, B and C designate three cylinders of a two-cycle internal combustion engine. Each cylinder opens into a crank` case 2. Each cylinder has two diameters, that is, the upper portion of each cylinder is relatively small and forms a combustion chamber 3 whilethe lower portion is relatively large and forms a precompression cylinder 4. Uperating within each cylinder is a piston 5 having an enlarged lower end which forms a compression piston 6 coacting ityith the wall of the precompression cham- The upper portion of each cylinder is jacketed as usual and at about the middle of the cylinder is formed an annular exhaust chamber designated 7 communicating by a plurality of ports 8 with the interior of the combustion chamber. The exhaust chambers of all the cylinders communicate with a common exhaust manifold.

Disposed in the crank case 2 is a crank shaft 9 having cranks set as illustrated in Fig. 1 at angular distances of 120 and connected by piston rods 10 to the respective All'of these parts are of any usual or desired form and their special C011'- 33 of Fig. e. Fig.l

- located interiorly of the septa 1 struction forms no vention.

'lhe upper portion or head of each cylinder is circnlarly contracted and this contracted portion merges gradually into a laterally flared, relatively narrow port 12 which communicates with a cylindrical valve casing 13 which extends across the upper end of all the cylinders. Extending entirely along the valve casing and preferably formed integral therewith i's a gas chamber designated 14 which has a port l5 leading to a carbureter or other source of gas supply. 'Ihe valve chamber 13 and the gas chamber 14 are preferably formed integral with the several c linders of the engine though not necessari y so formed.

The interior of the valve chamber 13 is ylindrical for the reception of a cylindrical sleeve valve as will be valve chamber is connected by means of branch ports 16a and 16b to a passage 1G leading to the precompression cylinders 4 of the several combustion chambers.

isposed within and fitting snugly the 1nterior surface of the valve casing 13 is a cylindrical sleeve valve 1 This sleeve valve is preferably constructed in two sections, one

other for a purpose Vto be later stated, but inasmuch as these sections move together, they constitute one cylindrical body forming the valve. s eeve valve is provided each cylinder, these ports being set equidistantly from each other and illustrated as disposed 120 apart. The sleeve valve is intended to run one-third as fast as the crank shaft or turns 120o while the crank shaft turns through a full circle. Thus each complete rotation of the crank shaft will bring one of the ports into coincidence with the port`12 leading into thecombus'tion chamber.

vDisposed interiorly of the sleeve valve is stationary member designated generally This member ishollow and is provided with a plurillll y 0f diametrically extending Prelerably each web 19 is outwardly bowedso as to form a relatively shallow gas passage designated 20. The other portion of the stationary member constitutes a gas receiving chamber and is designated 21. The gas passage 2O at its opposite ends is provided with relatively Wide ports 22 and 23 leading respectively into the gas chamber 14 and into the upper end of the branch 1611 of the precompression passage 1G. The gas receiving chamber 21 of the stationary member is formed with two ports arranged in quai-tering relation, the port 24 being coincident with the end ofthe branch 16b of the precomprcssion port 16 and the other, 25, being coincident oropposite to the port 12 leading l'intothe combustion chamber.` The'sleeve valvel? is formed as part of my present inchamber 14. Disposed Within later stated, and each with three ports for ,tion chamber is before stated with der designated 26.

Preferably the stationary member 18 isJV formed integral with the valve casmgbuc three ports for each cylinhas its exterior face spaced from the interior endof the valve casing, and is connected by 29 to one end'of the gas this elbow is a hollow cylindrical rotatable by-pass valve having two ports 31 and 32 sosdisposed that when turned in one position the port 32 will communicate with the 14 and the port 31 with the gas receiving means of an elbow other position, that is, the position shown in Fig. 4, these two ports -31- a.nd 32 will be closed, cutting off communication between tt)he gas receiving chamber and the gas-cham- It will be noted from Fig. 1 thatthe port 12 is relatively shallow in depth and relatively long, having a length nearly equal to the largest diameter of the combustion width it gradually increases in its depth (see Fig. 2) merges into the relatively contracted rounded portion 11 of the upper end of the cylinder, and that this rounded, contracted central portion 11 gradually flares downward and outward and mergesv into the full diameter of the cylinder.

It will be seen that the outwardly flaring, relatively shallow port 12'forms a pocket gas chamber and that when turned in the 35 lati-f leading laterally outward from the upper end of the combustion chamber, and dis posed in this laterally flaring pocket are one or more spark plugs designated 33 of any usual or approved construction. It will be noted that this. special design of combustion head coacts with the rotary sleeve valve to take the fresh gas from an oblong port-e in the rotating valve and that the passage Aor port then increases in width and decreases in length until such passage is nearly circular in form and about one-half the full diameter of the working cylinder. The combustion head then gradually flares downward and increases in diameter until the full diameter of the working cylinder is reached. Inasmuchas the spart plug or plugs are located in the pocket formed by the port 12, and inasmuch as this pletel'v with fresh gas when the combusfilled with gas, the sparkl plug or plugs will fire even a and there will be no danger of non-ignition as is the case with two-cycle engines coni. structed in the ordinar manner.

While I do not wis port will be lilled'cor'n-v K small charge l serve to allow chamber.

mamen the use of a slee\e valve constructed in sections, one surrounding the other,.I preferably construct the sleeve valve as illustrated in Fig. 7 wherein the valve is formed of an outer shell or sectionvdesignated 17 and an' inner section 17". These sections have a fixed relation relative to each other and both of the sections are formed with the ports 26. These shells 17IL and 17b are longitudinally slotted or cut at intervals as at 34 to allow for the expansion of the valve. The cuts in one shell 17l are arranged so that they do not come in line or register with the cuts in the shell 17". Not only do these cuts or slots 34 permit the valve to expand but they also the lubricating oil to reach all parts of the valve and act to a certain extent as ockets to retaina4k small amount of lubricatm oil so that the yvalves shall be ke t well flubricated at all times.

t will be seen that the passage 20 forms a gas passage connecting the gas chamber with the suction branch 16.of 'the passage 16 and that the port 16h or branch of the passage 16 forms a discharge port through which the compressed gas from the compression cylinder passes into the gas receiving chamber 21. As before stated, the sleeve valve runs one-third as fast as the crank shaft or turns 120 while the crank shaft makes one complete circle. the action of the valve as applied to each cylinder is as follows. -Y jj Assuming that the piston of thevrcylinder is at the upper center, the sleeve` valve `is just opening ports 22 and' 23, the sleeve valve movngxin the direction of the arrow, Fig. 8, or in t e same direction a's the cr'ankshaft. The precompression piston formedby` the enlargement 6 of the cylinder on its out or down stroke draws in an explosive charge from the carbureter, into the gas chamber 14, then throu then through t e passage 20 in stationary .,member, then through port 23 and branch 16* into the precompression chamber 4. Just before the piston has completed its down or out stroke, the sleeve valve has closed the gas passage 2O through the stationary member and opened the port 12. As the piston returns the port 12 is closed and the charge is compressed in the combustion As the port 12 is closed,.the port 24 is opened by the sleeve valve, allowing the precompression cylinder to discharge into the gas receiving chamber 21 and to close before the piston.- reaches its upper center.

The cycle of operation is the same as that of any ordinary two-cycle engine, bearing in mind, however, that the cranks on the shaft are set 120 apart and the cylinders fire in the order of 1,-3,-2- that is, A,C,-B. Assuming thatv the piston of vlinder A is on its down or workingstrokefthen the ex- This being so,

' iected by the on into the combustion chamber,

h port 22 in sleeve valve,

haust ports are -so located that the burnt charge begins to escape at about 40 before the lower center is reached, as is the usual practice in two-cycle engines. About' 30 before lower center of the crank for cylinder A, port 12 just begins to open. 'This cylinder is then in condition to receive its charge, thus enabling charge scavenging of the cylinder. .As the cranks are set120o apart and the cylinder B precedes cylinder A 120, if the port'12 of cylinder A opens 20 below lower center, then the piston of cylinder B will be 90 past lowerA center and the precompression piston wi'll`haye` compressed the fresh gas somewhat to th1s`p'o1nt. The iston of cylinder B is on its fastest trave at this point and is charging the combustion chamber A. This same'cycle is repeated with the other ton of cylinder B precedes the piston of cylinde-r A by 120 and its precompression cylinder charges cylinder A. As, the piston of cylinder A precedes the piston of cylinder C by 120, it in turn charges cylinder C. The piston of cylinder C precedes the iston of cylinder B and hence charges cy 1nder B, or, in other words, each working cylinder is charged by the precompression cylinder-whose piston precedes the piston of the working cylinder by 120.

lVhile my invention may be applied to four-cycle engines as will be later stated, it is particularly applicable to two-cycle engines. These engines as at present constructed fire irregularly when bllrning a small charge. As the incoming charge is debaille plate carried by the pisit mingles lwith the burned gases that are not expelled and a small charge will be either lost in the ases that are not expelled or be too much Y these conditions cause irregular running on low throttle. Furthermore in rapid running of two-cycle engines, the cylinder is liable to become rapidly choked up with exhaust gas products which are unable to escape when high speeds are attempted and hence the two-cycle engine has not been used for high speeds. Y

lVith the revolving sleeve 'valve arranged as heretofore described. the charge enters the extreme upper end of the combustion chamber. If the charge is small, some will mingle with the burned gases, but the port 12 leading from the Valve chamber while very short will be filled with fresh gas and as the spark plug or plugs are disposed in this port even a small charge will be fired with certainty.

Ordinarily two cycle engines are built with a larger bore than stroke to get rid of the burned gases. The inlet port is on one side ofthe cylinder and the exhaust on the precompression opposite side. The fresh charge is supposed to be deflected up to the head of the combustion chamber, be deflected downward tliereby, t

With my built with a vice versa, if stroke and a small the fresh gas entering at the end of t e combustion chamber will push the burned gas along instead of churning it u as does the fresh gas entering at one side of the cylinder which passes up the cylinder and returns on the other side to the exhaust port. Furthermore instead of having a baflle plate upon the piston, the piston is entirely free fr'om all projections o1' any kind.

l precomprcssion cylinder engines take in a full charge of gas at all times and discharge the gas into a gas receiver. If full power is not wanted, these pistons work against a vacuum. By providing a by-pass 29 leading from the rotary valve intothe gas chamber, part of the charge where full power is not wanted is allowed to escape into the gas chamber, thus preventing the pistons rom working against a vacuum.

With my rotary sleeve val can be so timed as to time to lill increasing the size of cylinder so as to pump a larger volume of gas than will fill the content of the working cylinder or lcombustion chamber, a full cylinder of fresh gas will be the result.

While l have shown the ports on the rotary valve as spaced from each other an angular distance of 120, these ports might be spaced at 90 but in this case the crank shaft would make four revolutions to one of the sleeve valve instead org three revoluthe proper filling of the combustion chamber with fresh gases depends upon the pfoper design of the combustion chamber head. If the port 12 were oblong, the fresh gas would ave quite a high velocity and would pierce e burned charge, churn it up and with it instead of driving it out. BV my construction, the .port is given such form t at it gradually decreases in length and in# creases in width until it is a circular opening and this merges into the full diameter burned charge, driving it out instead of piercing and commingling with it.

With slight modifications of ports, the

sleeve valve can be applied to four-cvcle Extending across the heads of all the cylinders is a cylindrical valve casing 37 having a smooth g into each cylby means of ports 38 and 39. Extendthe valve cascasing. Extending parallel to the exhaust manifold 40 and extending across the heads of all the cylinders is an intake manifold 42 opening by a port 43 into the interior of the valve casing.

isposed within the valve casing and rotatably mounted therein is a sleeve valve 44 formed with three ports, 45, 46 and 47, adapted to coact respectively with the ports 38, 39, 41 and 43. Located within the sleeve valve is the fixed or non-rotatable member 48 cored to provide an exhaust passage 49 as follows.

Assuming that a charge has been fired and is ready to be exhausted, the exhaust ports 38 and/41 are about to open as the .piston is about 30 above its lower center. The ports being about l8in angular length, opening and closing would cause the sleeve toy travel 36. e crank shaft travels six times as fast as the sleeve valve and the eX- haust will be open 216 on the crank shaft.

he piston will then be about 5 past upper center. 10 later the suction ports 39 and 43 each open allowing the draw gasfrom the carbureter from the 1ne passage 50, th port 39 inbto the combustion chamber. he ports will close when the piston is about 30 past venlargement or extension lower center. All ports will then be closed approximately 290. It will be understood that theperiods given above through which the ports remain open and close is approximate but that the statements are substantiallv correct.

While I do not Wish to limit myself to any particular-means for driving the con tinuously rotating sleeve valve, I have illustrated in Fig. 1 the sleeve valvev as being driven by means of a sprocket Wheel 51 fast upon a prolongation of the rotary valve, this sprocket wheel being connected by means o a sprocket chain 59; to a sprocket wheel 53 mounted upon theA crank shaft 9. It will be obvious that by changing the ratio of the small sprocket wheel to the large, the rate of rotation of the valve will be changed In Figs. 1 and 3 I have illustrated a special means for attaching the sprocket Wheel to the valve. In Fig. 3, 53 designates an of the valve vchamber within which the rotary sleeve valve 17 projects. VVthin the projecting end' of the valve 17 is disposed a split expanding sleeve 54 and Within this expanding ring or sleeve is an expansion plug 55.A Disposed on the exterior of the valve sleeve 17 is a driving ring designated 56 which eX- tends out beyond the extension 53 of the valve casing and is formed with radially projecting, oppositelv disposed arms 57. The sprocket wheel 51 is mounted in ball bearings upon the extension of the valve casing and is connected to the arms 57 by means of pivot links 58. Pins 59 lock valve 17 to the driving ring. This construction provides a means of driving'` the valve so that there shall be no side pull on the valve, and while I do not Wish to be limited toit, it is a preferable construction.

lVhile I have illustrated what I believe to be the best form of mv invention, it is understood that many modifications might be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a combustion chamber having an inlet port at its closed end, of a valve casing into which said port opens, said valve casing being connected to a source of fuel and a pre-compression chamber, a fixed member disposed within the valve casing and divided into two passages by a sep tum, each passage ending in a port registering with the ports of the exterior wall of the valve casing, and a rotatable valve disposed between the fixed member and the valve casing and controlling said ports.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a combustion chamber having an inlet port at its closed end, of a valve casmg into which said port opens,

the fixed' member and said-l valve casing being connected to a source of fuel, and a pre-compression chamber having two ports communicating with the interior of the valve casing, a fixed member disposed within the valve casing and divided into two passages by a septum, each passage ending in a port registering with the ports of the exterior wall of the valve casing, leading respectively into the gas chamber and the pre-compression chamber, and a rotatable valve disposed between the valve casing and controlling said ports.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a two-diametered cylinder having an inlet port at one end, a piston operating in the cylinder and having an enlarged head oper-l ating in the portion of the cylinder having the largest diameter, this portion of the cyl'- inder constituting a pre-compression chamber, acylindrical valve casing disposed at the opposite end of the cylinder, a gas chamber. a fixed interior member disposed within the valve casing and divided b v a septum into two passages. the valve casing having an inlet port to the cylindeL open ing into one of said passages and the port in the same passage opening to the precompression chamber, the opposite passage having a port opening into the pre-compression chamber and into the gas-chamber. and arotatable valve disposed between the fixed chamber and the valve casing and having ports controlling said passages.

4. In an internal combustion chamber. the combination with a plurality of combustion chambers, and a plurality of compression chambers` one for each chamber. each combastion chamber having an inlet port. of a hollow tubular valve co-acting with all of the chambers, a gas chamber. said valve having ports co-acting with the inlet port of each combustion chamber, and ports adapted to permit the entrance of fuel from the gas chamber into the interior of the valve and thence intermittently into the precompression chamber, and means for per mitting part of the charge in the valve to escape back into the gas chamber.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a plurality of combustion chambers, each having an inlet port at its closed end and a plurality of pre-compression chambers coacting therewith, of a tubular valve casing coacting with all of the cylinders with the interior of, which the inlet ports of the several combustion chambers communicate, said valve chamber having ports opening into the several combustion chambers, into the several pre-compression chambers, and into the gas chamber, an inte rior fixed member disposed within and con centric to the valve casing and having like. ports, said member being divided into two passages by a transverse septum, one of said eral pre-compression chambers, and a hollow cylindrical and rotatable valve disposed in lthe valve chamber, and extending along its entire length. said valve having ports adapted to register with the ports of the valve chamber, and means forl rotating thev valve continuously in one direction.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the

`combination with a combustion chamber,

closed at one end and the opposite end being formed to provide a' precompression chamber and a two-diameter piston coacting with the 4combustion chamber and the precompression chamber, of a valve casing disgas passage at its opposite ends being posed at the closed end of the combustion chamber and communicating therewith by a pprt, said prcompression chamber communicating with the valve casing by a passage having branched ports, a gas chamber having a port opening into the valve chamber, a cylindrical rotatable hollow valvel disposed within the valve chamber and having a plurality of portsadapted to register with the several ports of the valve chamber, and an internal stationary member disposed within the rotatable valve. divided intoA a, gas passage and a gas receiving chamber. the

adapted to register with one of the branches of the precompression passage and with the port leading to the gas chamber and the gas receiving chamber having ports registering, one with the port leading to the combustion chamber and the other with the other branch port of the precompression. and means for rotating said valve to establish communication between the gas chamber and the precompression chamber. between the gas receiving chamber and the precompression chamber and between said gas receiving chamber and the combustion chamber.

7. In an internal combustion engine. the combination with a plurality of combustion chambers. each closed at one end and enlarged at its opposite end to. form a precompression space, a two-diameterv piston for each combustion chamber and coacting with the combustion chamber and the precompression space. a valve chamber coactiiig with all of said combustion chambers and disposed adjacent the closed ends thereof, each combustion chamber having af port opening into the valve chamber; each precompression chamber having a passage leading toward the valve chamber and terminating in two branches opening thereinto. a gas chamber having a port opening into the val\'e chamberfa hollow rotatable valve extending the full length of the valve chamber and formed with ports adapted to coact with the-ports thereof, means for rotating said valve continuously in one direction, and an 'internal stationary member dis osed within the rotatable valve and divide by a transverse web into a gas receiving chamber extending along the full extent of the valve, and a gas passage, the gas passage having ports opening at its opposite ends into the gas chamber and into one of the branch ports of each precompression passage, the gas receiving chamber having ports registering, one with the inlet port of each combustion chamber, and ports registering with the other of the branch passages of each precompression passage.

In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a plurality of cylinders, each formed at its lower end to form a precompression-chainber and double diameter pistons operating, one Vin each cylinder'and coacting with the precompression chamber 4gas receiving chamber and any one of the .cylinders and establish communication between the gas chamber and any one of the precompression chambers, and in another position to cut off communication between the gas chamber and any one of the precompression chambers and establish communication between the as receiving chamber and any one of the cylinders.

9. In an internal combustion engine. a combustion chamber enlarged at its lower end to form a precompression chamber, a two-diameter piston operating in the combustion chamber and coacting with the precompression chamber, a gas chamber adapted to be connected to the carbureter of the engine. a hollow rotary valve having ports adapted to establish communication between said gas chamber and the precompression chamber, and between said compression chamber and the interior of the valve` and between the interior of the valve and the inlet port of the combustion chamber. a bypass opening at one end into the hollow valve and at its other end opening into the gas chamber. and a valve for controlling the passage of fluid through said by-pass.

In an internal combustion engine. the

combination with'a plurality of combustion each combustion chamber, ports adapted to in the valve to yescape back into the gal permit the entrance of fuel from the gus chamber. 10 chamber into the interior of the valve and In testimon whereof I aix my signature ports adapted to permit the passage of fuel in presence o two witnesses. to and from the precompression chambers WILLIAM .KUELZER [1.. 8.] and a valved by-pass connecting one end o Witnesses:

the gas chamber with one end of the rotary ELizAE'rn TYNoN,

valve whereby to permit part of the charge HENRY L. F ms'mrm.

Copies o! this patent my beobudned tor ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ot Patents, Washington, D. 6." 

